The Ink Bond
by realtrashwriting
Summary: AU In this world, when you turn 18 you are sent an envelope with the name of the one person you must meet and get to know. And though Levy's been searching for hers for a while, but she might not like who she finds.
1. Chapter 1

**AU**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail**

* * *

 **Part 1**

Levy McGarden was standing just outside of a dingy apartment building, the walls a dilapidated _red_ over the bricks, and did her best to squash the urge to leave.

She smoothed back her great blue tangle of hair and looked back at the text message Natsu had sent her only a few days ago. The address stared back was identical to the one she was at herself and the validation sunk her heart just a little. When she compared the name given to her with the one printed on her note. Levy pushed the note back into the envelope and moved, stalling only a little to pet the sleek black cat that drifted by the front of the complex.

"Hello, you," she cooed. The cat pushed its dark head against her hand and Levy reveled in the feeling of soft black fur. When it peered up at her, she could see a scar on it's face and smiled softly. "Well aren't you just a trooper. You must have come a long way," she said. There was a collar on the cat that gleamed silver against his dark fur and she thumbed the name that had been inscribed on it: _Panther Lily_. After a few moments of coddling she waved goodbye and headed for the door. She'd opened it and was surprised as the cat padded through her legs and into the building.

"Are you going home?" she asked. The cat continued forward and disappeared around the corner. Alone once more, Levy stepped in and headed for the elevator. Her stomach was a mix of nerves and misplaced courage that forced her up and out into the third floor hallway. Levy spared the text message one more glance before she walked over to the door with a swirling _77_ gleamed back.

Levy knocked twice, the letter pressed to her stomach as the heavy music within was turned down fractionally. When nobody came out the door after a couple minutes, Levy tried to know again. This time, it increased and she bristled. Whoever was within _knew_ she was waiting. A bit outraged, Levy thought about knocking again when she heard a tired mewl. Startled, she looked and saw the same black feline. "Panther Lily!" she gaped. "What are you doing here? And how?!" The cat stared at her thoughtfully, then looked at the door she was in front of. They scratched at the door in short rhythmic movements. At this, the music stopped completely and Levy could hear heavy footsteps approach.

The door swung open to reveal a familiar large man. Broad shouldered and somewhat burly, the man's curling silver dragon peeked out from under the strap of his tank top . His hair was a wild, spiky mane that reminded Levy of her own tangled mass of hair. Without a long sleeve or his signature leather jacket, Levy could appreciate his toned muscles, which seemed ridiculously firm. What she wouldn't give to just reach out and-

"Lil, why don't you just use the window-" he cut away and noted her gaping at him. His eyes were piercing; intense. "What're you doing here, shrimp?"

That snapped Levy out of her ogling and she coughed awkwardly. "Oh. I didn't know you lived here." It sounded foolish once the words were out of her mouth, but she had to ask. She had seen this nameless man a few times before. The first had been an unceremonious collision in her home town. Bumping into one another only to have her apology be swallowed by his harsh "Watch where you're going shrimp." Ever since then, thoughts of him left a sour taste in her mouth. It didn't matter if she'd found him attractive. No amount of attractiveness could make-up for a shitty personality. Their second interaction had been at a book store at which both Levy and the mystery man fought over something she couldn't even remember. And here he was now, looking at her again with a curious expression; awe perhaps?

"Why're you here, then?" Levy dismissed the idea. He was looking at her with annoyance. Definitely annoyance.

"I...I came to see someone."

"Who? Cuz Natsu's not here right now. he-"

"-moved in with Lucy last month. I know. That's why I'm here."

"Here?"

"Yeah. Natsu moved in with Lucy when he realized they were ink bound." The man snorted and Levy skin felt stretched tight. It was uncomfortable. She knew there were people like this stranger out there, people that scoffed at the idea of being Inkbonded, but it burned her blood to know that there was one so close to her. "You think it's funny."

"Being 'Inkbonded'? Yeah, I think it's a fuckin' joke, which you should already know."

"Well, I think it's very real. When you turn 18, you get the name of your Inkbonded sent in a letter. I got mine two years ago and I've been looking for them ever since."

"You shouldn't waste your time. Millions of people live their whole life perfectly fine, all without finding their Inkbonded. I think people are even calling 'em soul mates now."

"Lucy and Natsu _are_ Inkbonded. They compliment each other so well. They were meant to meet each other."

"She could do better."

"Listen," Levy poked at the broad expanse of his chest with an angry finger, "I don't care if you don't believe in it. You probably threw your letter in the fire the moment you got it, but I _haven't_ given up. I'm looking for him and Natsu told me that he lives here so I'm going to see him."

He was quiet, and in his thoughtful silence, Levy noticed how awkward it was to talk about this with him in the threshold of his apartment where all his neighbours could hear.

"What are you going to do if your Inkbonded doesn't want to see you?" he asked brusquely.

"He will." Levy was still filled with confidence, high on the feeling of telling this mystery man just what she thought. "Your Inkbonded are people that you must meet. They're people destined to teach you something amazing, someone that will help you unlock your true potential. We'll meet each other and we'll become even better people."

"You don't even know this guy. He couldn't be the scum of the earth. He might not even have your name in his envelope."

"I believe in him. He's a good person. Unlike you." He choked back a laugh.

"Really?" He leaned down a bit. "And how much do you know about me?"

Levy's face burned. There was something about his question, something cold and curious at the same time; as if daring her to respond with confidence. She called his bluff and tried to stand tall, although that only put their faces closer together. "I know that you're a skeptic," she said, "and that you've probably just bitter because you never met your Inkbonded."

That seemed to strike a cord in the man and he bristled, his face morphing into a scowl. "I'll have you know that I have, in fact, met my Inkbonded, and she's human."

"Yeah?"

"Which means that she has flaws, including the fact that she's a goddamn idealist all the time and assumes everything will just slot into her view of the world."

"Sound a little foolish."

"Can't help but agree," he said coldly, pulling away from her and keeping his arms crossed.

"Look, if you could just bring him out, I'll be out of your hair and you won't have to deal with me."

"Sounds like a fucking blessing to me," he murmured. "Alright, shrimp, what's his name?"

"His name?"

"Yeah? The poor sucker have a name? If you're lucky, Dragneel got the location wrong and it's somebody else entirely. Maybe they don't even have your name in return. Wouldn't that be fucking something?"

"His name is Gajeel Redfox," she said and watched his face grow even paler than before. The last vestiges of his bravado left him and she couldn't, for the life of her, describe the mystery man's expression. It was like... he had been expecting that name but hadn't wanted to hear it. "He _is_ here. I can tell. Maybe he's changed his last name or something, but he's still Gajeel. Natsu roomed with him for years; he told me that he lives here. Can you bring him out."

"Can't," he choked out sharply.

"Why not?"

He seemed to be contemplating something in that pessimistic mind of his, and when he finally made it up, he sighed and wiped a hand over his face. "Fine. I'll go _ask_ him for you." Levy scampered in after him as he turned. Pantherlily's tail brushed against her calf as he nudged her in. The cat pushed the door shut and sauntered into the kitchen, leaving Levy alone at the front door. The closet door was left wide open, and she could see a variety of large, dark jackets hanging within. The shoes on the rack below were large as well and appeared to have thick soles. Perhaps something a construction worker might use?

She could hear the mystery man rummage around in a side room with his voice set at a low rumble as he spoke to whomever was in the room; as he spoke to someone who was no doubt _Gajeel_.

When the man emerged, he seemed to be contemplating something.

"What did he say?"

"He said," the man began slowly, "that he doesn't want to see you."

"Wha- He doesn't?"

"No, he..." the man rubbed at his neck, eyes fixed away from her, "said he wasn't feeling well and just generally doesn't want to see you."

"But-"

"No. You can go. Maybe you found the wrong guy. There's probably another Gajeel Redfox out there."

"But-"

"Go out. Go find them if that's still what you want to do. Maybe they have your name in one of their letters because this guy doesn't have yours."

Levy was stunned. "He doesn't?" she breathed.

"No. And it's probably for the best. He's kind of a jack ass." The man ushered her to the door. "Off you go. It's never too late. Living without your Inkbonded is not the end of the world."

"Are you trying," Levy said slowly, "to comfort me?"

The man seemed to choke on air and walked her to the door with more haste than before. "Not a chance, Shrimp," he said, simultaneously shoving and leading her back into the hallway. "Good luck."

With the door shut, Levy's thank you went unnoticed, and any other softening of her features was in vain.

* * *

Levy tried not to slam the door when she returned to Lucy's flat. The moment she opened the oak door, she'd gotten the thick smell of curry and cat hair, the latter of which was muffled by the _Frebreze_ canister plugged into the wall.

"Lev? Is that you?" Lucy called. Levy found her in the kitchen with Natsu both trying to set the table and see how many things he could carry over without dropping them. "Levy?"

"Yeah, it's me." Levy slumped into a chair and pressed at her temples.

"What's wrong?" asked Natsu. "You look beat."

"I am," she groaned. "I found out that my Inkbonded doesn't want to see me."

"What? Gajeel doesn't?"

"No, he doesn't," she groaned, "and I tried so hard to make everything go smoothly and for what? He wouldn't even see me."

"Oh." Natsu frowned. "What did you think of him? He must have told you he didn't want to see you, right?"

"I didn't get the chance to see or talk to him," Levy griped. "His roommate passed the message for him. He's such a jerk."

"Roommate."

"The guy with the black hair and dragon tattoo? Yeah, he's a nightmare. Every time I've seen him, we get into fights and it's infuriating."

"Was he the same guy from the bookstore?" asked Lucy curiously.

"Yes! And he's roommates with Gajeel Redfox. Can you believe it?" she exclaimed.

"I thought you said he was attractive."

Levy tried to smother her blush. "That was before I got to know him."

"You've met him three times," commented Lucy. "I don't think that's enough to get to know someone, right, Natsu?"

The boy was still sitting at the table, his brows furrowed. "Wait, Gajeel has a roommate? Already?" asked Natsu.

"Yes, aren't you following? His roommate is the guy who opened the door and was super rude to me."

"What'd he look like again?"

"Dark hair, tall, dragon tattoo, spiteful attitude. You know him?"

"Know him?" laughed Natsu." laughed Natsu. "That's Gajeel."

Levy choked on the food Lucy had just doled out and her blonde friend set to rubbing her back in large, soothing circles. " _What_?"

"I said that was Gajeel. Big with the tattoo. That's him."

"That has to be a mistake," she gaped in horror. Many of the stranger's words came together, revealing themselves as moments in which he knew with full clarity who she was and what she had come to say.

"Nope. That's one hundred percent Gajeel! I knew he was looking for a new roommate but it was way to soon for him to have found someone.

"Oh no."

"What's wrong? You met him. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"It was but," she wrung her hands anxiously, "not like this, Natsu. The things I said to him. I said cruel things to his face and then I denied him as my _Inkbonded_. No wonder he was so frustrated with me." Levy buried her face in her arms. "I'm a mess. I've ruined everything."

"It can't be that bad."

"I called him bitter and a closed-minded skeptic."

"Oh."

"Maybe," cut in Lucy, "there needs to be more damage control than I thought."

"I don't make too many assumptions, do I, Lucy?" Levy asked her mournfully.

"You made a lot of assumptions about Gajeel." Lucy shot Natsu a scathing look and made to kick him under the table. "What?"

She whimpered in the cocoon of her friend's arms.

"No. Now, Levy," soothed Lucy. "Think of it this way: maybe your Inkbonded is here to teach you patience."

"I don't know, Lucy, I just don't know." She sighed. "I think I just need to sleep."

"Okay. If you need anything, let us know," Lucy offered kindly, but Levy was already shuffling off to bed.

She couldn't wait for the day to be over.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail**

* * *

 **Part 2**

The sun had set hours ago. Gajeel stretched as he locked up the shop, smirking at the movement he caught on his left. He got down on his haunches and Panther Lily leaped up onto his shoulders. The cat slipped beneath the tattered scarf that hung around his neck, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"You should've just waited at home, Lily," scoffed Gajeel, but he savoured the warmth of his pet as they began the trek back to their apartment. The blue neon signs along the way reminded him of the girl that had appeared at his doorstep four days prior. Levy McGarden.

Just thinking about her name gave him chills. If he could have let go of the name _Levy McGarden_ , he would have. Yet, somehow, it seemed ridiculously unlikely. It had been a little over there year since that letter had landed in front of him; her name nesting within a baby blue envelope in golden ink on the night of his eighteenth birthday. Every time her name had caught sunlight from its perch on his desk, it would send flecks of colour against the wall. It was more enchanting than he had anticipated the first time, and the longer it sat in his room the more he felt pulled towards the name. Even now, even after he had denied her to her face, he could not forget the fact that her name shone.

He shook his head as if it could help him clear his mind, but she remained there. Panther Lily purred contentment against his neck without any concern for his owner's inner turmoil.

"I'll forget about her," he assured Lily. "I'll actually do it this time." The cat made a noise that sounded much more like a snort. "You're not very supportive, Lil. I think I scared her away last time too so she won't want to see me anyway. Probably for the best thought," he said. "I don't think we matched."

Lying to his cat seemed to ring a little hollow but that was fine. He _would_ be fine. He'd met Levy long before she had realized who he was. They'd spoken, unknowingly on her part, online for a bit as well. It had been just a couple comments, short quips on her writing, but she'd responded to every one with what he believed to be eagerness and excitement. But even then he'd begun to understand that she was pure and an idealist; naive and good, despite her flaws.

And he was almost exclusively flaws. He hadn't felt any real shame until he got his letter. She couldn't know what he'd done before and he didn't dare tell her. He was lucky enough to have friends (few as they were) that had deleted his name from every online source that might have tied him to a damaged past he'd longed to escape. He was lucky that some of those friends actively wanted to spend time with him.

Gajeel shoved his hands deeper in his pockets at that depressing thought. He was careful not to jostle Panther Lily, who was enjoying the warm ride, and sped up. His apartment building had a tendency to turn up the heat. It made the winters tolerable.

"What do you think, Lily? Soup tonight?" he asked, hoping that food would draw him away from what had been haunting him ever since Levy appeared. Pinpricks of regret threatened to surface and he beat it back with more ferocity than needed. He'd been doing well with avoiding thoughts until that very morning brought Levy McGarden to him again. She'd been reading in the lobby. She'd be _waiting_ for someone and knowing (or rather feeling) that she was waiting for him, he'd slipped out the rear doors to avoid her. He hoped she hadn't waited too long and had simply gone home. No doubt, she'd grown bored and disinterested. Why she had returned was curious, but he chose no to dwell to much on it, passing it off as a temporary lapse of judgment on her part. She'd likely just wanted to try to see his 'roommate' again. Perhaps she had thought she could catch him as he left and try to convince him to see her.

Which was why he didn't think twice about heading towards the front doors. "Almost home," assured Gajeel, but suddenly the cat was leaping off her shoulder and onto the ground. "Wha- Lily!"

A black streak darted under streetlights and paused by the lobby doors. Panther Lily let out a mewl of concern, and Gajeel hurried forward. "What-"

The figure at the doors was crouched down, their hand being rubbed by Panther Lily's smooth head. They glanced up blearily and gave a weak smile in his direction.

"Hello, Gajeel."

He approached cautiously, his resolve flying out the window. "Levy."

"You knew me after all." He moved forward and took her arm. She was easier to hoist up than he'd anticipated and followed his lead with considerably less resistance. "Where are we going?"

"In."

He tugged her past the doors, ushering Levy into the warmth the lobby had this morning provided. She visibly shivered and unconsciously shifted closer to him.

The attendant stood suddenly and peered over their counter as Gajeel entered. "Mr. Redfox, what are you doing?"

"Did you kick her out?" he snapped instead. There was something burning in his chest when he looked at the other man and he couldn't remember being this upset in a long time.

"I, um, the man before me said he escorted her out." He seemed to look anywhere but Gajeel's eyes.

"And why _the fuck_ would he do that?"

"There is a no loitering policy, sir" he choked out and Gajeel rolled his eyes, hoping that he oozed even a fraction of the amount of annoyance and anger that he felt.

"She's with me; just doesn't have a key yet," he lied and led Levy into the nearest elevator.

Panther Lily had followed them into the elevator dutifully, sticking close to Levy as if sensing just how cold she was. If Gajeel didn't know better he'd say she even looked as blue as her hair. He pulled his scarf from around his neck and wound it around hers. "It's too warm for me," he reasoned gruffly. She seemed too cold to respond, but stayed close by. When the doors opened again, he pulled her our while his other hand reached into his pocket for the key.

Levy didn't walk into his apartment with the same quiet confidence she had a few days ago. It was only after some prompting that she came in and sat on the sofa. He threw his coat on her haphazardly and made a beeline for his bedroom. Tugging the comforter off with a flourish, Gajeel stepped around Lily's plush kiwi that had fallen to the ground, and brought it back to the living room. Once he was sure Levy was completely covered up, he stepped towards the kitchen and began boiling water. His cupboards clattered shut as he brought a few soup cans out alongside a canister of powdered hot chocolate. When he finally looked back at Levy, she still had his scarf wrapped around her neck while the rest of her remained curled up under his blankets. She looked...

He didn't fully know, but it made him feel something more than just commonplace regret or curiousity.

"I'm taking a shower," he said finally. "Stay here and don't touch anything. We'll talk after."

"Talk."

"Isn't that why yer here?" Her head bobbed. "That settles it then. Sit and I'll be back."

Levy watched him walk out of the room without another word and he stood beneath the warm rush of water, he realized that she hadn't questioned him. His shower was shorter than he'd hoped and Gajeel managed to throw on something more than swears and a t-shirt. According to Juvia, it was impolite to wear so little with a guest over. He and Natsu hadn't had girls in their apartment besides Lucy who had never formally met Gajeel anyway.

The steam collected on the mirror and his own face was just a blurry figure. He toweled his hair before heading out into the living room again.

Panther Lily was curled up close to her but upon seeing Gajeel abandoned her for his food bowl by the fridge. Levy looked up from her cocoon of warmth.

"You look tired." He was somewhat disappointed in himself for such a weak opening line but it was all he had.

Levy nodded. The look was completed by her messy hair and coincidental yawn that took over her features.

"You hungry?"

"I-" The kettle called for attention and Gajeel pulled himself across the room to turn off the stove top.

"Or tea? Coffee to keep you up?" He glanced at her from over his shoulder. "Hot chocolate?"

"You know me," she said instead and Gajeel just nodded, dipping a spoon into the canister and emptying the brown powder into one of three mugs. Natsu hadn't retrieved his and surely Juvia wouldn't mind sharing.

"Sure."

"No, I mean, you actually know me. You always did," said Levy. Her tone might have sounded accusatory if she hadn't been so tired.

"So?"

"So? I came here and you pretended not to know me."

"I never said I _didn't_ ," he said, adding the hot water and watching the drink come to life in brown bubbles and steam.

"You must have know me before; when we bumped into each other at the bookstore."

"Know you?"

"You knew that you were my Inkbonded."

He felt a familiar heaviness settle in his stomach. "I didn't," he said honestly. Gajeel put the drink on the side table closest to her and sat on the floor at her feet.

"You had to know."

"But I didn't."

"Then why did you meet me before? It couldn't have been an accident."

"Why not?" She murmured her thanks and he continued. "Why couldn't you just think it was coincidental? You sure seemed happy enough to think your Inkbonded was some idealistic guy."

"Why couldn't you just admit you knew me?" It was a quiet push; one that was more gentle than he deserved. Yet, at the same time, there was a reluctance and...guilt. He hadn't expected that, for some reason.

Gajeel watched Levy fidget quietly. They sat in the silence for a while before she spoke again, this time with an apology on her lips. "I'm sorry. What I said to you before... those assumptions weren't called for. And I know that I probably offended you, and I don't want you to think that I'm saying this just because I know you're my Inkbonded. It's a lot more than that. I-"

This woman would be the death of him, Gajeel was sure of it. "I don't want to talk about it."

Levy frowned and bit of light came back into her eyes. "You said-"

"After. We talked a bit already but you're way too tired."

"But-"

"Drink," he insisted.

She blinked down at the mug that she had just picked up. "Right now?"

He nodded and stood. The stove top clock reminded him of how late it was and Gajeel stretched. "Drink and give me five minutes."

"Five minutes."

It would only take five minutes for the pleasant warmth to lull her to sleep. Gajeel took his time washing dishes and drying the few utensils he had. He ducked his head into the fridge and pulled out a small vine of washed grapes from the fruit drawer. Leisurely, he ate away as he headed back into the living room.

The vine clicked against the side table when he put it down. He took a half empty mug from Levy's loose hands and returned to the sink to wash it. Upon his return, Levy had curled up on the couch using one of the cushions as a better pillow.

"Told you you were tired."

"We should talk," she mumbled. An exhausted mind and body were no match for a hot drink and a _very_ comfortable sofa.

"After. I ain't sending you home like this."

She watched him with half-lidded eyes, her hair sprawled on the cushions. The comforter looked like a warm shell around her. "You..."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." The feeling in his chest returned with more force than he thought possible and he let it leak into the rest of his body for the moment. She snuggled under the covers and drifted off while he moved to his room, too tired for food.

For a moment, he thought he felt someone watching him, but when he glanced over, Panther Lily's eyes glowed back at him, keen and knowing, as if he knew that Gajeel was breaking every vow he'd made to himself.

"Looks like I'm not forgetting her after all."


End file.
